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The Good And The Bad of Dylan Crews’ Return To The Big Leagues

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 06: Dylan Crews #3 of the Washington Nationals gets ready in the batters box against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on June 06, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After spending the first month and a half of the 2026 season in Triple A, Dylan Crews has now played 16 games at the big league level this season. In that time, the results haven’t quite shown up for him, with a .197 batting average, 1.5% walk rate, and 58 wRC+, but it hasn’t been all bad either. Let’s take a look at everything going right, and wrong, for Dylan Crews since he returned to the majors.

Starting with the good, Crews has torn the cover off the ball since his return to the bigs, with an average exit velocity of 90.8 MPH, ranking in the 83rd percentile of all big league hitters. He had been roasting the ball in Triple A, with a 99th percentile average exit velocity of 94.7 MPH up in Rochester, so it’s great to see that part of his game still translating.

Crews has also cut down his strikeout rate 5.1% from 2025 to 2026, down from 23.6%, in the 49th percentile, to 18.5%, in the 75th percentile. While his chase rate has gone up from 29% to 38%, he has cut down his whiff rate from 30% to 24%, meaning he’s getting the result he wants more often when he swings the bat. While he’s been more aggressive on pitches outside the zone in 2026, Crews has also been more aggressive on pitches inside the zone, taking his Z-Swing% from 66%, the 45th percentile, to 69%, in the 71st percentile.

Crews has been hitting the ball harder, making more contact when he does swing, and has been more aggressive on swinging at good pitches to hit, so what has been going wrong for him that his numbers are still lacking? The primary issue for him at the moment is his chase rate, which, as mentioned before, is in the 38th percentile, ranking in the 11th percentile in MLB. The free-swinging approach has led to a lot of hard contact so Crews so far, but it has also put him behind in a lot of counts, as he goes fishing for breaking balls out of the zone.

Crews has also continued to struggle to pull his flyballs in the air consistently, an issue that has plagued his power potential for a few years now. His 8.7% pulled flyball rate is in the 13th percentile of big league hitters, and plays a large role in why his slugging percentage of .322 is .145 points under his expected slugging percentage of .467. Crews’ exit velocities are encouraging enough to suggest he could hit 20+ home runs per year eventually, but not if he is limiting his ability to get the ball over the wall by hitting it to center and right field.

Crews has also not been taking many walks in his return to the bigs, with 1 walk in 65 plate appearances, resulting in a 1.5% walk rate. Crews hasn’t struggled drawing walks in his first 2 big league stints, so his low walk rate shouldn’t be too much of a concern yet with such a limited sample size, but it is interesting how much of a point Crews has made it to be aggressive in the box, swinging early and often in counts looking to do damage.

Overall, the surface numbers don’t look great for Crews in what is now his 3rd big league season, but the under-the-hood metrics suggest he is making some improvements, which could result in success in the near future. He needs to make some adjustments, such as cutting down on the chase rate and lifting the ball more to the pull side, and he may never be elite in those categories, but Crews certainly has the tools to be a productive big league hitter over a large sample size one day.

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Monday Stat Party: We Are Young

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Petco Park on June 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

MONDAY

The Mets played their 12th extra-inning game of the season. No other team in MLB has played more than nine this season. Only the 1971 Mets and 1978 Mets experienced more extra-inning affairs through their first 60 games of a season.

The Mets mustered just two hits in ten innings. It’s the fourth time in franchise history they’ve managed two hits or fewer in an extra-inning game, joining: October 1, 1982 at Philadelphia; July 6, 1972 vs. San Diego; June 14, 1965 at Cincinnati. Somehow, the Mets’ record in these contests is now an even 2-2.

The Mets made five outs on balls hit with an exit velocity of 100+ mph for a second consecutive game, and their fifteenth game this season. The Mets are tied with the Braves for the most such games in the Majors this season.

In the Mets’ 13th game at T-Mobile Park, Marcus Semien became the first Met to homer from the right side in Seattle.

Jared Young’s 424-foot homer off Emerson Hancock is the longest home run hit by a Met at T-Mobile Park in the Statcast era (since 2015).

TUESDAY

Carson Benge recorded his first multi-homer game, becoming the youngest Met with a multihomer game since Francisco Alvarez had one at 21 years and 315 days old on September 30, 2023 against the Phillies.

Benge, Juan Soto, and Brett Baty all recorded hits with an exit velocity over 109 mph. It’s the first time that three Mets notched hits at 109+ mph in a game since September 17, 2025, when Baty, Pete Alonso, and Starling Marte did it against the Padres.

Cionel Pérez set the Mets’ record for fastest pitch by a left-handed pitcher this season on four separate occasions, dialing it up to 97.8, then 98.2, then 98.3, and then 98.5 mph. As of May 29, no Met left-hander had thrown a pitch above 95.0 mph this season. Since then, Pérez has thrown 19 in three innings of work.

Logan Gilbert generated 21 swings and misses against the Mets, trailing only a pair of Dodgers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto (23) and Shohei Ohtani (22) for the most in a game against New York this season.

WEDNESDSAY

The Mets won at T-Mobile Park, snapping a seven-game losing streak in Seattle dating back to July 29, 2017, when a 23-year-old Edwin Díaz secured the save against the Mets.

Bo Bichette’s four-hit game was the 19th of his career. Since his rookie season in 2019, only Luis Arraez (23) has more four-hit games, while Freddie Freeman and former Met Amed Rosario are tied with him for second place at 19 four-hit games.

Carson Benge became just the ninth Met to record 10 stolen bases before their 60th career game. He will surely have company in that club soon, as A.J. Ewing already has 7 stolen bases in just 25 career games.

Freddy Peralta generated 18 swings and misses over his six innings of work. That’s the most whiffs in a game for a Met this season, and the most for a Mets right-hander since Kodai Senga racked up 22 at Coors Field on June 6, 2025.

The Mariners’ Dominic Canzone recorded two batted balls with an exit velocity of 112 mph or higher. He’s only the fourth player in the Statcast era to pull off that feat against the Mets, joining Yordan Alvarez and Oneil Cruz — each of whom have done it once — as well as Giancarlo Stanton, who has done it a whopping six times.

FRIDAY

A.J. Ewing became the youngest Met to steal two bases in a game since Fernando Martínez, who at 20 years and 234 days old was the youngest Met ever to do it on June 1, 2009 during an 8-5 loss in Pittsburgh.

Ewing also recorded his sixth game with at least one hit and at least one stolen base. That ties him with Ronny Mauricio for the most such games through a player’s first 23 career games in Mets history.

Bo Bichette hit his one triple of the season. I say “his one triple of the season” since in five of Bichette’s past six seasons, he has finished the year with exactly one triple to his name.

Luis Torrens hit a home run to center and a double off the left-center-field fence. It’s the second time in Torrens’ career that he’s recorded two batted balls which traveled a Statcast-projected 375+ feet in the same game. The other time came exactly two years earlier, on June 5, 2024 in Washington.

Torrens recorded back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time this season. Jared Young…also recorded back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time this season.

The Mets earned their third win with zero runs allowed and three or fewer hits allowed this season. The only teams in MLB with more such wins this season are the Brewers (4) and Dodgers (5).

Since the start of May, only one Mets pitcher has finished a game with at least 5.2 scoreless innings: Christian Scott, who has done it twice.

The Mets earned their eighth shutout win against the Padres since 2012. Six of the previous seven were started by Cy Young winners, with one started by Johan Santana, one started by R.A. Dickey, one started by Max Scherzer, and three started by Jacob deGrom. The other was started by Noah Syndergaard on July 28, 2015 — one night before the Mets nearly made a franchise-altering trade.

SATURDAY

A.J. Ewing put together a seven-pitch at-bat against fireballer Mason Miller with two outs in the ninth, eventually drawing a walk. That ties the Nationals’ Luis García Jr. and the Angels’ Yoán Moncada for the longest at-bat from the left side against Miller this season.

To make that at-bat against Miller more impressive, the 103.3-mph fastball that Ewing fouled off was the fastest pitch a Met batter has seen since April 12, 2025, when Luis Torrens fouled off a 103.7-mph fastball from none other than A’s closer Mason Miller. That pitch also came with the Mets down to their final strike.

Nolan McLean threw a career-high 101 pitches. He had previously reached exactly 100 pitches on three separate occasions this season.

Padres catcher Freddy Fermin hit his first home run of the season, and his first home run since September 16, 2025…against the Mets at Citi Field. Combined with his three-RBI performance on Sunday, six of Fermin’s last eight RBI have now come against the Mets dating back to last season.

SUNDAY

Carson Benge became the third-youngest Met to record a five-hit game. Only John Milner (22 years, 255 days on September 8, 1972) and José Reyes (22 years, 328 days on May 5, 2006) did it younger. Benge was the first Met with a five-hit game since Francisco Lindor on July 6, 2023, and the first Mets rookie with a five-hit game since Pete Alonso on August 15, 2019 (Amed Rosario also had five hits that day, marking the only time two Mets have accomplished the feat in the same game).

The Mets recorded eight base hits with an exit velocity of 100+ mph, tying their record for most in a game this season. A.J. Ewing, MJ Melendez, and Brett Baty each had one, Bo Bichette had two, and Benge had three.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

Here are the Mets’ all-time leaders for hits out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order:

Tom Seaver (146)
Dwight Gooden (144)
Tomás Nido (102)
Jerry Koosman (98)
Sid Fernandez (94)

(If you’re wondering, Francisco Alvarez is currently tied for 10th place with 57.)

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Seattle Mariners Minor League Roundup – Week Eleven

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - APRIL 22: Michael Arroyo #8 of the Arkansas Travelers prepares to bat during the game between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Braeden Botts/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma’s been in a major rut as of late. Down a large portion of their offensive fire power due to a variety of reasons, the already depleted pitching staff has been struggling to buoy the lineup and has subsequently led to some rather tough losses. Dropping four of six this week, the Rainiers fell to 25-38 on the season and will look to flush their first half woes come midsummer.

Longtime farmhand Spencer Packard missed a couple weeks earlier this season, but he’s back and producing consistently for this lineup as a left-handed masher. Up to a .342 average this season, Packard had 10 hits on the series and currently stands with an OPS of .868 at the Triple-A level. The 28 year old has a tough path forward as a defensively limited corner outfielder that’s behind both Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone on the depth chart, but perhaps another team looking for some balance to their lineup will be inclined to give him a shot in a minor trade package at the deadline.

Arkansas Travelers

The Travs had a fantastic series against Corpus Christi this week, taking five of six from the Houston affiliate in their home ballpark. Despite their success, the Travs remain in second place within their division, unable to pace with the red hot Dodgers affiliate from Tulsa. Just a game and a half back with plenty of time left to make their move, the Travs remain well positioned to take the first half title should they be able to maintain this level of play.

Hello, Arroyo! After a middling start to the season, top prospect Michael Arroyo broke out this week and was absolutely on fire at the plate. Logging nine hits across five games on the series, Arroyo posted a slashline of .429/.500/.714 and raised his season OPS up to .772. Arroyo’s general peripherals aren’t too far out of line to where they’ve been in the past, and though we’re out of pure “small sample” nonsense, a few months of deflated play is far from the end of the world for a 21 year old nearing a promotion to Triple-A. Context here is key; Arroyo is still wildly ahead of the bulk of his peers, and should he maintain this hot streak for a few weeks, he’ll be right back to where evaluators and fans alike expected him to be from the get go.

Not to be outdone at the dish, Lazaro Montes showed his distaste for Dickey Stephens Park by launching another five homers on the road this week, raising his season OPS up to .885. Montes is running some extreme splits this year, with the hulking slugger owning a home OPS of just .515 compared to a monstrous 1.206 mark on the road. Furthermore, his left/right splits have been far more pronounced than in years past; A .542 OPS vs lefties is considerably lower than his career averages, though with just 73 PA on the year, sample size is likely more of the driving factor than anything else. Considering his K% and BB% are nearly identical regardless of handedness, it feels like there’s likely some positive regression toward the mean left for the season. Off to a fantastic start to his year, look for Laz to light up the PCL as soon as he gets his shot at the Triple-A level.

Rounding out the week of outlandish performances, Kade Anderson spun an absolute gem this week, allowing just one baserunner across five innings and punching out nine. With four above average offerings and unprecedented command of each one, Anderson is dominating opposing hitters in the zone despite average velocity from the left side. There’s really not much more to say about Anderson that hasn’t been said already; Anderson is unquestionably one of the best prospects in all of baseball, and if he were asked, he could probably pitch in a major league rotation tomorrow.

Everett AquaSox

The Frogs managed a series win against the league-leading Eugene Emeralds this week, taking four of six from one of the best teams in all of minor league baseball. Now back over .500 for the first time in a while, the AquaSox will look to build upon this fantastic series win and carry some momentum into the second half.

Jonny Farmelo built on his solid series last week and turned in perhaps his best week of the season. Totaling nine hits against Eugene, Farmelo launched a trio of homers this series and collected six extra base hits. Better still, Farmelo continues to draw walks at an excellent clip and raised his season mark to 16.67%, a truly outstanding figure for someone with a relative lack of plate appearances due to injury. He’s still not back to his old self on the basepaths just yet, but with his topline speed looking positive, there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll regain his prowess at stealing bases and continue to ascend toward his sky high potential.

Brandon Eike has continued his hot hitting and looks to be due for a promotion to Double-A in the coming weeks. A natural third baseman, Eike has split time at both corner infield positions this season and has pummeled the baseball all season. Sitting presently with an OPS of .876, Eike’s power stroke will need to carry him throughout his career as he ascends through the minor leagues; his walk rates are roughly average and his less-than-stellar contact skills make him a “TTO” type of player long-term. Hopefully he’s able to prove himself at the Double-A level and prove he’s a real candidate for the big leagues down the line.

Inland Empire 66ers

The 66ers split against a very solid San Jose team this week, a Giants affiliate currently sitting in first place of the North division in the California League. Inland Empire has had a rough go of it through the first couple of months this season, but perhaps a second half surge is somewhere on the horizon.

Outfielder Korbyn Dickerson has been on a really nice stretch of late. Missing a few games early this week (though unconfirmed, it looked as though it was a precautionary measure), Dickerson continued his hot hitting and collected four hits across three games this weekend. With both a homer and a triple under his belt, Dickerson is in the middle of an eleven game hitting streak and has raised his season OPS up to .835 with 12 stolen bases. Dickerson is one of the strongest prospects outside of the “upper tier” that features the organization’s first or second rounders in recent years, and though his draft position ended up being several rounds lower, Dickerson’s upside remains on par with many of the players drafted ahead of him. He’s a name to monitor over the coming weeks.

Another week, another Mason Peters gem. Now sitting with a 1.59 ERA on the season, Peters is tied for third in all of minor league baseball (with top prospect Seth Hernandez) with a 31.8% K-BB% among pitchers who’ve thrown as many innings as he has, only trailing Toronto’s Nolan Perry and the aforementioned Kade Anderson. Peters’ ascent has been hard to understate this season; he’s increased his prospect pedigree in a very real way and should consistently find himself on the cusp of the organizational top ten when mid-season rankings become public.

ACL Mariners

The top prospects residing on the Baby M’s roster have been on something of a skid as of late, but it’s still rather early to be drawing any conclusions right now. We’ll see where they stand come the end of the season, but right now, both Becker and Bautista haven’t produced as well as you’d like to see.

DSL Mariners

The DSL squad kicked off their season with a bang this week! Currently on a four game streak of scoring in the double digits, this iteration of the DSL team looks far more competent offensively than we’ve seen in recent years. It should be a very exciting season down in the DR!

Top prospects Juan Rijo and Gregory Pio are the top two names to know on this roster. Both receiving hefty bonuses this past cycle, the pair of outfielder have produced well over the first handful of games in their professional career and feature tantalizing potential. They’re both batting .333 or better and have shown off impressive slug to boot. Both figure to fit somewhere inside the top 20 prospects organizationally.

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Spurs-Knicks Finals ticket prices plummet before Game 3. Get them at a discount

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson drives to the hoop.

The Knicks are back in the New York groove.

Eighteen days after their last game at Madison Square Garden — when they played the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 21 — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby return to Manhattan tonight for their first NBA Finals game at MSG this century.

The Knicks are up 2-0 against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and ticket prices for Game 3 are through the roof.

However, what you might not have heard is that last-minute prices are dropping.

When our team last reported how much Knicks MSG Finals Game 3 tickets cost on June 5, the cheapest seats available were $8,417 including fees on SeatGeek.

Now, just one long weekend later, prices start at $4,585 including fees at the time of publication.

That’s a whopping $3,832 in savings.

Should you purchase, make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 at checkout to save an additional $10 if you’d like to sweeten the deal just a little more (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

Knicks stars can’t wait to put on a show for their faithful either.

“We got to be desperate for these fans,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after practice Sunday, according to The Post. “Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give ’em something to cheer for, give ’em something to get loud for and also give ’em something to believe in.”

More Coverage on the Knicks during the 2026 NBA Finals

If you’re on the fence, now is the time to act especially since the lowest price on seats for Game 4 on Wednesday is $9,280 including fees.

Prepare for roadblocks tonight as well with President Trump planning to attend.

“NYPD and Secret Service officials outlined planned closures ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden Monday as President Trump is expected to attend the Knicks’ matchup with the San Antonio Spurs,” The Post reported.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden below.

What do tickets cost for Knicks NBA Finals games at MSG?

A complete calendar, including all announced Knicks NBA Finals home game dates and the best prices on tickets are listed here:

New York Knicks NBA Finals home game datesTicket prices
start at		Ticket prices
started at on 6/5
Game 3
Monday, June 8		$4,585(including fees)$8,417
(including fees)
Game 4
Wednesday, June 10		$9,280(including fees)$8,079
(including fees)
Game 6
Tuesday, June 16
(if necessary)		$11,510(including fees)$8,190
(including fees)

What do tickets cost for Spurs NBA Finals games in San Antonio?

All Spurs playoff home game dates at the Frost Bank Center and the cheapest tickets available can be found below.

San Antonio Spurs home game datesTicket prices
start at
Game 5
Saturday, June 13
7:30 p.m.
(if necessary)		$1,761(including fees)
Game 7
Friday, June 197:30 p.m.
(if necessary)		$4,634(including fees)

What are the Knicks Finals home game giveaways at MSG?

New York Post social media guru Olivia Silio let us know that there are likely some additional perks to attending Finals games at MSG.

“The first home game of the series, you’ll go home with a souvenir t-shirt, commemorating the game,” she said, based on her experience attending the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Other games have ‘Always Knicks’ towels for fans to keep as well as interactive arena bracelets, used for light shows and hyping up the crowd. Another bonus is you may see your favorite actor, singer or athlete, rooting alongside you.”

How can I watch the Knicks and Spurs in the NBA Finals on TV?

Fans hoping to catch Mike Brown’s ballers on the tube can watch all NBA Finals games on ABC and ESPN.

Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.

If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.

What are the planned closures for Game 3 of the NBA Finals?

The Post reported this is what you need to know:

  • Vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be prevented from entering from West 30th Street to West 35th Street between 6th Avenue and Eighth Avenue starting at 4 p.m., the NYPD said.
  • The only people allowed inside that perimeter will be fans with tickets, commuters going to Penn Station and those who are working inside that part of Midtown Manhattan.
  • Fans won’t be allowed to bring backpacks, bags, purses or other containers inside the venue and are strongly advised to show up at least two hours before tip-off. There will be no storage area for spectators who bring a bag, officials warned.
  • “All attendees will pass through TSA-style magnetometer screening before entering the arena,” said Matt McCool, who is the Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office.

Huge concerts at MSG in 2026

Not sure what to do once the final buzzer sounds on the 2025-26 NBA season?

MSG has you covered.

The legendary venue has booked a number of exciting acts to entertain audiences all summer long.

Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live.

• Bon Jovi (July 7-9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26)

• Earth, Wind, and Fire with Lionel Richie (July 11)

• Phish (July 22, 24, 25, 27, 29)

• RUSH (July 28, 30, Aug. 1, 3)

• J. Cole (Aug. 2, 4)

Want to see who else is Big Apple-bound? Check out this list of all the upcoming events at Madison Square Garden to find the show for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

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Fred Andersen or Brandon Bussi: Who Should Start Game 4?

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 06: Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Three of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The primary discussion around the hockey water cooler today is, who should start in net for the Carolina Hurricanes in game four of the Stanley Cup Final.

After allowing four goals on 16 shots, (and two more that were not counted), in the first two periods of game 3, Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour did something extremely rare for him. He pulled his starting goaltender.

After the game, he was quick not to place any blame on his goaltender.

“There was no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going… (Bussi) gave us a chance. (The overtime winner) is a tough break. I hate it for him, because he was playing great.”

It seemed like more of a mercy change, rather than a change to relieve a tired Frederik Andersen. And let’s be frank, Andersen did look tired, to the eye test anyway if not strictly by the poor stats. (.750 save percentage for the game).

Andersen has a SV% of .815 in this series.

Bussi came in and did not allow anything until the goofy game-winner in the second OT. He allowed one goal on 19 shots.

In the first two series of the playoffs, Andersen was outstanding and was rated the best goalie in the playoffs.

He also played very well in the Montreal series, though not as sparkling as in the first two.

But now in the Stanley Cup Final, he seems slower than in the previous series.

During the past three regular seasons, Brind’Amour has rotated his goalies, seemingly with the idea to keep them fresh. Especially Andersen, who has a history of wearing down if over-played.

Then when the playoffs start, Brind’Amour throws out that strategy and plays Andersen exclusively. While the goalie has played well, after the first two rounds his performance drops below what it was during the earlier playoff series.

Brind’Amour has done the same thing this postseason, even though Brandon Bussi carried the load during most of the regular season. Bussi posted a 31-6-2 record with a GAA of 2.47 and SV% .895.

In contrast, Andersen was 16-14-5 with a GAA of 3.05 and SV% of .874.

To be fair, Andersen was the better goalie down the stretch although he was played more often than Bussi. After the Olympic break, where Bussi saw no action, they gave Andersen more starts even though he played during the Olympics.

The coaching staff had made their minds up at this time who the Carolina goalie would be during the playoffs. Up until now it has looked like a good decision, but does Andersen have anything left in the tank?

If you were the head coach, who would you go with?

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Fantasy baseball streaming starting pitchers: Dustin May surging, Jack Perkins in the rotation

Welcome to your fantasy baseball starting pitcher happy place. This is a new column for me this year that will combine a few things I've done in the past. In this article, every Monday, you'll not only get a list of my favorite streaming starting pitchers for the whole week, but underneath that, you'll get a breakdown of a few pitchers who are making interesting changes to their pitch mix. Today I covered Dustin May, Roki Sasaki, Jack Perkins, and Shane Drohan.

It's a little bit of rankings and a little bit of analysis, and hopefully a lot of help for your teams.

As far as which pitchers on this list you'll want to stream, your decisions will change based on your league type and settings. Since I'm listing starters for all week, I'm not going to be able to give a detailed analysis for each one; I'll highlight the matchup and some quick thoughts. As is usual with my articles, a streaming starter pitcher is rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo formats, so just keep that in mind as we’re going through because I won't be mentioning pitchers who are rostered in more leagues than that, and I also won't be mentioning pitchers who I would not start in any format.

Check out this week’s MLB Power Rankings!

Starting Pitcher Streamers of the Week

Monday

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Mason Englert1%vs BOS15s and deeper
Jeffrey Springs24%vs MIL15s and deeper

There are not a lot of games on Monday, and a few of them feature aces, so this is a brutal day for streaming. Mason Englert has been stretched out by the Rays and is operating as a bulk reliever. That makes him a bit intriguing against a mediocre Boston offense.

Tuesday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Troy Melton26%vs MIN12s and deeper
Dustin May26%at NYM12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Stephen Kolek19%vs TEX12s and deeper
J.T. Ginn41%vs MIL12s and deeper
Walbert Urena28%vs HOU12s and deeper
Grant Holmes29%at CWS15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Kai-Wei Teng16%at LAA15s and deeper
Andrew Alvarez1%at SF15s and deeper
Lucas Giolito7%vs CIN15s and deeper

Dustin May has made some changes to his pitch mix, which I wrote about below. I'm also a fan of what Troy Melton is doing in Detroit, even if the strikeouts haven't been there. J.T.Ginn and Walbert Urena are cruising of late, so you're going to pitch them, but Urena gets a tougher matchup here against Houston, and Ginn is pitching in Sacramento, which always makes me nervous. We also get Andrew Alvarez against the Giants, who are maybe the worst offense in baseball; that could work in deeper formats.

Wednesday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Christian Scott25%vs STLAll league types
Peter Lambert22%at LAA12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Seth Lugo39%vs TEX12s and deeper
Jake Bennett5%vs TB15s and deeper
Andre Pallante9%at NYM15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Brandon Young9%vs SEA15s and deeper
Zebby Matthews27%at DET15s and deeper
Jack Perkins4%vs MIL15s and deeper

Christian Scott probably needs to be rostered in more formats and gets a decent matchup here against a feisty Cardinals offense, but one I think he can handle. The same goes for Peter Lambert against an Angels offense without Jorge Soler. Jake Bennett is back up with the Red Sox and firmly on the streaming radar, but this one makes me nervous. Seth Lugo is in a decent spot against the Rangers, but they just got back Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford, so I might rather use Andre Pallante against a mediocre Mets offense.

Thursday

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Keider Montero11%vs MIN15s and deeper
Kumar Rocker10%at KC15s and deeper
Hunter Dobbins1%at NYM15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Martin Perez21%at CWS15s and deeper

Another pretty bad day for streaming. The Cardinals are apparently going to put Hunter Dobbins back in the rotation, which we like because he could honestly be their best starter.

Friday

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Tatsuya Imai41%at KC12s and deeper
Jack Leiter40%at BOS12s and deeper
Zack Littell18%vs SEA15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Connor Prielipp10%vs STL15s and deeper
Sean Manaea14%vs ATL15s and deeper

Another day with no matchups I truly love. Tatsuya Imai has been better lately, but he's still really just throwing two pitches, which makes me nervous. Zack Littell has been on a hot streak, but the talent is pretty average, so this feels like a ticking time bomb. I like Sean Manaea in a bulk relief role, but I hate this matchup, and Connor Prielipp needs to find something other than his really good slider if he wants to be a consistent MLB starter.

Saturday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Griffin Jax30%at LAA12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Noah Cameron41%vs HOU12s and deeper
Gage Jump25%vs COL12s and deeper
Randy Vasquez42%at BAL15s and deeper
Trevor McDonald13%vs CHC15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Jameson Taillon19%at SF15s and deeper
Joey Cantillo30%vs DET15s and deeper
Mike Burrows15%at KC15s and deeper
Braxton Garrett1%at PIT15s and deeper
Rhett Lowder8%vs ARI15s and deeper
Shane Drohan15%vs PHI15s and deeper
Matthew Liberatore14%at MIN15s and deeper

People gave up on Griffin Jax a bit too soon. I think this is a profile that can work as a starter. It's a good matchup this week as well. Noah Cameron has also found his command of late and is on a hot stretch, while Gage Jump had two solid starts on the road this week. I hate that he pitches in Sacramento, but I think I have to go for it with week against the Rockies. Shane Drohan, who I covered below, intrigues me, but I don't like this start.

Sunday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Stephen Kolek19%vs HOU12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Grant Holmes29%at NYM15s and deeper
Michael McGreevy39%at MIN15s and deeper
Mason Englert1%at LAA15s and deeper

Stephen Kolek is currently on the family medical emergency list, but he will be back for this start. He's been pitching well of late, and so we'll just hope he can keep it going.

Starting Pitcher Pitch Mix Changes

Dustin May - Cardinals (Cutter Usage)

A pitch mix change has unlocked a solid run of production for Dustin May. In his first three starts of the year, May threw almost 31% four-seam fastballs and just 11% cutters. He had a few terrible outings in that stretch and wasn’t missing bats at all with a 17% strikeout rate and 7.4% swinging strike rate to go along with a 9.45 ERA. Then, he made a shift. Over his next nine starts, he reduced his fastball usage to 24% and upped his cutter usage to 26%. Since then, May has a 3.38 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 23% strikeout rate, and nearly 11% swinging strike rate, so why is this working?

For starters, May's cutter gives up far less hard contact. On the season, he has a 27% Ideal Contact Rate (ICR) and 3.8% barrel rate allowed compared to a 41.3% ICR and 6.8% barrel rate on the four-seamer. Because of May's lower arm slot, his four-seamer also has below-average vertical movement and a lot more horizontal movement than normal. That is a problem for lefties because the four-seamer will tail out over the plate a bit more, kind of like a sinker. As a result, lefties hit May's four-seamer harder and swing and miss less often. The cutter has been a pitch that he's able to use 67% of the time early in counts to lefties and get ahead, which then sets up his sweeper, which actually has a 32% PutAway Rate to lefties this year (that measures how often a two-strike pitch results in a strikeout)

May has also used the cutter more against righties. In this nine-start stretch, he's throwing the cutter 31% to lefties and 16.6% to righties, using it early in the count 76% of the time for righties. Despite it being an early-count pitch for righties, it actually has a 24% swinging strike rate over these last nine starts, likely because May is so sinker-four-seamer focused to righties that when he throws a cutter that's four mph slower than his fastballs and with a different movement profile, hitters are lost. The addition of the cutter has also led to less hard contact on his four-seamer against righties and more swing and miss on the four-seamer since he's locating it up in the zone 66% of the time. This may just be a hot stretch for May, but it's founded in some pitch mix changes, so it's something we can start to get behind.

Jack Perkins - Athletics (Slider Usage, Move to Rotation)

It seems that the Athletics are moving Jack Perkins back to the rotation. The 26-year-old was a starting pitching prospect for his entire minor league career with the Athletics, but he was moved to the bullpen last season to facilitate his promotion to the big leagues, and he looked good in that role, pitching to a 2.75 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 19.2 innings. This season, he seemed like a good bet to take over the Athletics' closer role and recorded three saves before the wheels fell off. On Friday, he made his first traditional start of the season, allowing five runs on five hits in four innings against the Astros.

As a starter, Perkins threw 34.7% fastballs, which was down about 6% from his usage as a reliever, just because he needs to mix in more pitches. He maintained a 28% sweeper usage, which was around what he was doing as a reliever, and upped his cutter usage a bit, to nearly 11%. However, the big story is that Perkins busted out a harder, gyro slider for the first time this season and threw that nearly 15% of the time. His sweeper is 86 mph with 13.4 inches of horizontal movement and just 0.2 inches of drop. It has missed bats to both righties and lefties this season. It has actually given up less hard contact to lefties, so this appears to be a platoon-neutral pitch, considering he uses it 40% of the time in two-strike counts regardless of hitter handedness. The slider that he showed on Friday was 89.3 mph with about four inches of horizontal movement and just one inch of break. He didn't throw a single one in two-strike counts and used it more as an early strike pitch, even though it's still more of a whiff pitch than a called strike pitch.

That gyro slider appears to be a middle ground pitch between the sweeper and a cutter that's 92.5 mph with no horizontal movement and 6.1 inches of rise. On the season, Perkins has commanded that cutter well with a 56% zone rate and 74% strike rate, but he doesn't use it that often. If he's going to handle starting lineups that have plenty of left-handed hitters, I think the cutter and gyro slider pairing is going to be crucial for him. The cutter finds the zone often, and the gyro slider can miss bats. He can then also mix in his four-seam fastball, which is not a great pitch for lefties because he has lots of horizontal break and below-average rise. I see how this CAN work, but it hasn't yet, so we should just watch another start or two before we get ready to add Perkins.

Roki Sasaki - Dodgers (Fastball Shape, Slider Usage)

I've been hard on Roki Sasaki as a starter this year, and a big reason was that his best pitch was a splitter, which relied on him to get ahead with his four-seam fastball, yet his four-seam fastball didn't miss bats and got hit hard. A shallow arsenal with a bad fastball is not a recipe for success. Yet, something interesting is happening over the last four starts.

At the beginning of the season, Sasaki's four-seamer was 97 mph with 15.4 inches of vertical movement. He threw it up in the zone 42% of the time, and it posted just a 7.2% swinging strike rate with a 63% strike rate, 84.5 contact rate, and 47.5% ideal contact rate allowed. Over his last four starts, Sasaki's four-seamer has been 97.6 mph with 17.1 inches of vertical movement. He has responses to the increase in vertical movement by throwing it up in the zone 52% of the time (and 57% in his last three starts). That has led to a 14% swinging strike rate, 77% strike rate, 76% contact rate, and 33% ideal contact rate allowed.

Does Roki Sasaki have a good fastball now? I'm not sure if it's just due to a location change or he has really added vertical movement to his four-seamer, but that's a huge change. He's not only able to get ahead with his four-seamer, but he can actually get swinging strikes on it now, which sets up his splitter. What's more, Sasaki has started to locate his slider better lately as well. In those last three starts, he has a nearly 61% strike rate on it and a 21% swinging strike rate, thanks to better command down in the strike zone. He has responded by using it 26% of the time over the last three starts and 33% of the time to righties. Yes, he may still be just a three-pitch pitcher, but all three of these pitches appear to be working now, and we love to see that.

Shane Drohan - Brewers (Sinker, Slider, and Cutter Usage, Move to the Rotation)

The only way the Red Sox trade with the Brewers this offseason that featured Kyle Harrison and Caleb Durbin could get worse is if Shane Drohan also emerged as a weapon for the Brewers. So far, he certainly has, pitching to a 3.11 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 24% strikeout rate in 37.2 innings. That success caused the Brewers to shift Drohan from his multi-inning relief role and move him into the rotation over the last two starts. Now, in 10.1 innings as a "starter," he has allowed five runs on nine hits, but I think there is plenty of upside in this role, if the Brewers keep him there.

As a starter, we've seen a minor change in Drohan's pitch mix. In his first 11 games, he led with his four-seamer 26.2 of the time, but also used his cutter 20%, his sinker 19%, and his slider 17%, among other pitches. In his last two starts, he's kept the four-seam usage pretty consistent, but decreased his cutter usage to 3% while increasing his sinker to 31% sinker and his slider to 25%.

While the initial inclination is to believe this has to do with batter handedness, on the season, he uses his cutter 16.3% to righties and 14.4% to lefties, so it wouldn't seem to make sense that he would just scrap it because he was facing more righties in a start. His slider was also a pitch he used almost exclusively to lefties early on, but he has thrown it to righties 15.6% and 19.4% of the time in his last two starts. He has saved it primarily for two-strike counts, using it there over 60% of the time on the season and recently, but the slider hasn't really performed as a two-strike pitch to righties, with just a 14.3% PutAway Rate.

Drohan's curve and four-seamer have been better as two-strike pitches against righties this season, which connects to the other changes. Drohan has upped his curveball usage to righties about 4% in his last two starts, mixing it in early in counts but also throwing it nearly 29% of the time in two-strike counts. He has a 57% strike rate and three strikeouts on it, so it's been a solid complementary pitch. However, the four-seamer has an outrageous 36.8% swinging strike rate and 47.4% CSW in the last two starts. Yes, he faced the Rockies (in Coors, though) and the Giants, so we're taking this with a grain of salt, but Drohan has thrown 35% sinkers to right-handers over those starts, up from 22% on the season. He keeps the sinker away to righties and is now throwing his four-seamer outside 37% of the time to righties and elevating it 84% (up from 66% on the year). By using sinkers early in the count to righties more often, he establishes a fastball movement pattern and location (middle-away) and then elevates the four-seamer over the top of that to get plenty of swings and misses. It's a bit of a dangerous approach because his sinker doesn't miss bats to righties and has given up a fair amount of hits, so I'd like to see him turn back to the cutter a bit, but if he doesn't feel comfortable elevating the four-seamer inside to righties, then the cutter and four-seamer pairing won't work as well.

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Flyers' First-Line Center Search Takes Multiple Hits

It is no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers should be looking to find a legitimate first-line center this off-season. It is their biggest need as they look to take another step forward next season.

Unfortunately for the Flyers, they have received bad news on two of the NHL's top trade candidate centers. 

Dylan Larkin and Robert Thomas were both viewed as prime potential targets for the Flyers. However, based on recent reports, the likelihood of the Flyers landing either one of them is very low. 

The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James revealed Larkin's trade list, and the Flyers were not among the teams on it. Instead, Larkin's wanted destinations are the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Minnesota Wild. With Larkin having a full no-trade clause, he has complete say over where he will be moved. 

As for Thomas, Andy Strickland recently revealed that the Blues are unlikely to trade Thomas this off-season, and he is expected to be on their roster at training camp. 

These are certainly tough updates for the Flyers, as Thomas and Larkin were both prime potential options for their first-line center spot. Yet, the Flyers will now need to explore their options elsewhere. Unfortunately, this year's free agent market is not going to provide them with that, as the best pending UFA centers are Boone Jenner, Scott Laughton, Erik Haula, and Jack Roslovic. 

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Atlanta Hawks agree to multi-year extension with coach Quin Snyder

As Atlanta is pivoting from the Trae Young era to a new iteration with Jalen Johnson as part of its core, it is locking up its brain trust. First was working out a long-term deal with the head of basketball operations, Onsi Saleh.

Now the Hawks have locked up head coach Quin Snyder with a multi-year extension, the team announced.

"Quin has been a phenomenal leader for our team, and extending his contract reflects our commitment to stability and sustained growth as we build toward high-level success," Saleh said in a statement. "Over the past three seasons and amid an evolving roster, we've seen clear, measurable progress, which is a testament to the culture he's established and the leadership he brings every day. He has created an environment where our players are challenged, supported, and empowered to grow, and that focus on player development has elevated our entire program."

This was expected. Atlanta ownership has been understandably happy with how the team has been built and coached, how it has pivoted out of the Trae Young era without going into a total rebuild. With that, it has rewarded and locked down the guys in charge.

Snyder joined the Hawks during the 2022-23 season and, this past season, helped the Hawks pivot away from the Trae Young era — he was traded to Washington at the deadline — toward a more balanced offense led by Jalen Johnson. The Hawks were 20-6 after the All-Star break without Young, finished sixth in the East and (as of today) were the last team to take a game from the New York Knicks in the playoffs.

"I am grateful to the Ressler family and humbled to continue leading this team. I love this group of players, love coaching this team and am fortunate to have a tremendous coaching staff. Atlanta has truly been home for my family, and I am excited to continue this journey," Snyder said in a statement. "Tony, Jami and the entire Ressler family are deeply committed to providing us every resource we need for success and the partnership Onsi and I have developed is strong, with the shared focus of bringing Hawks fans the success they deserve."

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Are The Marlies Staff, Players Destined For Maple Leafs And NHL Roles?: Comparing This Year's Marlies To The 2018 Calder Cup Champions

The Toronto Marlies have booked their ticket to the AHL's Calder Cup final after defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-1 in overtime on Sunday night, ending the Eastern Conference final series in six games.

The Marlies now await the winner between the Colorado Eagles and Chicago Wolves to kick off their first Calder Cup final appearance since 2018.

Plenty has changed since the Marlies won their first Calder Cup in 2018. Several members of the team's staff earned NHL roles, either with the Toronto Maple Leafs or elsewhere, and the same can be said for a handful of the players.

In 2018, Kyle Dubas was the GM of the Marlies, and Sheldon Keefe was the head coach of the team. The very next season after winning the Calder Cup, Dubas became GM of the Maple Leafs, and Keefe was promoted to coach them in 2019-20.

While they haven't won any Stanley Cups since or any notable playoff runs, they've led the Maple Leafs to some excellent regular seasons. In fact, the Dubas and Keefe Leafs are responsible for three of Toronto's six best NHL seasons in franchise history. That includes the top two, with a 115-point campaign in 2021-22 and a 111-point season in 2022-23.

GM Ryan Hardy runs this year's Marlies team, and John Gruden is the head coach. Hardy has been the GM of the Marlies since 2021-22, while this is Gruden's third year as the bench boss.

After the Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving, Hardy, alongside Brandon Pridham, was co-GM of the NHL team to finish out the year. Before that, Hardy had been an assistant GM for four seasons.

As for Gruden, with the head coaching vacancy with the Maple Leafs, he could very well be a candidate to lead the NHL team from behind the bench next season. For the most part, coaches who win the Calder Cup get an opportunity in the NHL. 

Examples of that would be Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Jeff Blashill, Ryan Warsofsky and now Manny Malhotra. Even further down the line in history, Todd McLellan, John Tortorella, Peter Laviolette, Barry Trotz, and others have won the Calder Cup and had notable careers behind an NHL bench. 

So, for the Marlies' Gruden, a promotion could be in the fold in the near future.

'I've Gotten A Bit Stronger': Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Feels Marlies Playoff Run Helped Him Grow'I've Gotten A Bit Stronger': Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Feels Marlies Playoff Run Helped Him GrowWith big moments in the Calder Cup playoffs with the Toronto Marlies, Toronto Maple Leafs youngster Easton Cowan believes that his game has been growing on the ice.

In terms of the Marlies roster that won the 2018 Calder Cup, there are several familiar names that went on to become NHL regulars not long after.

Many players on that team have played over 300 NHL games, including the likes of Trevor Moore, Justin Holl, Mason Marchment, Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Dermott, Timothy Liljegren, Pierre Engvall and Carl Grundstrom. 

This year's team has more veterans on the roster compared to the 2018 winning team. However, there are still some youngsters who could make an impression in the NHL one day.

Players such as Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan have already stuck their foot in the door with the Maple Leafs and will likely get plenty more opportunities next year.

In addition, Luke Haymes, Ryan Tverberg, Noah Chadwick, and, of course, the strong goaltending tandem of Artur Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby could be destined for the NHL in the coming years.

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MLB Home Run Predictions Today: Best HR Prop Bets, Picks, Parlay & Odds for Monday, June 8

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With Josh off, I'm pinch-hitting with a trio of MLB home run predictions on Monday, June 8.

It's a lighter slate, with only eight games on the schedule, but sometimes it's better not to have an overabundance of options for our MLB player props.

My MLB home run predictions wrap things up by adding William Contreras to sluggers Adley Rutschman and Rafael Devers, as the Brewers touch down in Sin City for a duel with the A's.

  • UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HROdds
Orioles Adley Rutschman+598
Giants Rafael Devers+416
Brewers William Contreras+396
💲Today's HR parlay+17404

Home run pick: Adley Rutschman (+598)

I like fading Seattle Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock today and in perpetuity with my MLB picks. The hurler has seemingly made strides, but his increased strikeout rate and suppressed ERA are teetering on the edge of collapse. 

His 4.17 expected ERA gives us the first sign of trouble. Meanwhile, contact metrics all favor his opponents, as his chase, barrel, and hard-hit rates all rank in the 20th percentile or worse. He lives in the zone and has gotten by with his mediocre stuff getting hit right at defenders and a 25.8% strikeout rate that defies his actual swing-and-miss numbers.

The question becomes which Baltimore Orioles bat to target. Pete Alonso is the most logical, but he also has the shortest number. BallparkPal has winds blowing to left field, so his +391 price tag may well be worth it anyway. Instead, I'll grab resurgent catcher Adley Rutschman as he continues to prove that he's more than Matt Wieters 2.0.

Rutschman has made incredible gains under the hoodyear over year, ranking among the elite in many Statcast metrics. And while he'll step in as a lefty against Hancock, the wind to left field doesn't scare me, as he's sprayed his power over the field. 

The 28-year-old also ranks second on the O's in BlastContact% at 17.7% (min. 200 PAs), trailing only — you guessed it — Alonso.

    • Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
    • Where to watch: Mariners.TV, MASN

Home run pick: Rafael Devers (+416)

Oracle Park is not the most homer-happy ballpark, but Washington Nationals starter Miles Mikolas has allowed 14 long balls in 56 1/3 innings, and the bullpen boasts the fifth-worst HR/9 among all MLB relief units.

For as good as the offense has been, the pitching staff has been equally terrible.

Rafael Devers paces the San Francisco Giants in BlastContact% (17.4%), and ranks in the 88th percentile in both average exit velocity and hard-hit rate.

His fly ball metrics are generally in line with his career numbers, if not a touch better than his time in Boston. At +416, he's worth a sprinkle in a super favorable matchup, and I'd play it down to +375.

    • Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
    • Where to watch: Nationals.TV, NBC Sports Bay Area

Home run pick: William Contreras (+396)

The A's are moving to Las Vegas! Temporarily!

Tonight marks the A's first of six straight home games at Las Vegas Ballpark, with the Milwaukee Brewers coming to town. It's projected to feature the friendliest hitter environment on the schedule by a country mile, per BallparkPal.

While I'm tempted to target home-team sluggers like Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker, their price tags have them below +300 to go deep, and Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison has generally done a fantastic job at limiting the long ball. It doesn't mean he can't be gotten to, but I'd rather get a longer number if I'm going to fade him.

Instead, Jeffrey Springs is the lefty hurler to target. He has surrendered 14 home runs in 70  innings and boasts the 12th-highest fly-ball rate in MLB and the eighth-worst HR/FB rate among qualified starters.

William Contreras hasn't exhibited the best power of his career this season. Still, he is one of the hardest hitters in baseball to strike out (91st percentile K%) and is squaring the ball up well, but it just hasn't resulted in over-the-fence production. Yet.

Given the nature of Las Vegas Ballpark, which projects to be a hitter's haven not unlike Sacramento's Sutter Health Park, I like Contreras at a better value than teammate Jackson Chourio (+278).

    • Time: 10:05 p.m. ET
    • Where to watch: Brewers.TV, NBC Sports California

See our full Brewers vs. A's predictions for today.

Today’s HR parlay

Orioles Adley RutschmanBet Now
+17404
Giants Rafael Devers
Brewers William Contreras

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Canadiens Should Target Vegas Defenseman

The Montreal Canadiens’ blueline isn’t exactly the most physical in the league, and Martin St-Louis doesn’t have a lot of trust in Arber Xhekaj, whether he wants to admit it or not. The gritty blueliner even played just 1:52 in his last game in the playoffs, and it looks like he could be moved this summer, even if he is an RFA.

If that’s the case, Kent Hughes should take a long, hard look at Jeremy Lauzon. The Vegas Golden Knights blueliner won’t fill the net; he’s a stay-at-home blueliner, but he’s one that definitely has his coach’s trust, and he’s a Quebecer.

Today In Canadiens History: A Legendary Coaching Career Started
Canadiens Report Card Bottom Six Edition
Canadiens Report Card Defensemen Edition

If Vegas doesn’t sign him to a contract extension, Hughes should pounce. The 29-year-old might be a left-shot defender, but he would steady the Habs’ third pairing. He’s 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, and over his 384 career games in the NHL, he has averaged 17:34 of ice time.

In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final, which went to double overtime, he spent 25:08 on the ice, blocked six shots and landed four hits. He’s also used on the Knights' second penalty killing unit, which would lighten the load on Lane Hutson. While the sophomore defenseman has shown that he can play on the PK, it would be ideal if St-Louis didn’t have to use him when Montreal is down a man; he could rest him and get more offensive minutes out of him.

Lauzon is coming off a four-year contract with a $2 million cap hit. Granted, he’ll be after a raise, but he might still not be all that expensive and with the cap going up again this upcoming season, the Canadiens could afford to make the move. The one red flag may be his injury history, but it would be worth digging into it to establish if he’s injury prone, or just unlucky.

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Yankees Birthday of the Day: Tacks Neuer

Collage (created for Lajoie's Official Base Ball Guide) features players from the New York Highlanders baseball team, 1907. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Like many people born in the 1870s, there are not a lot of records of John “Tacks” Neuer. However, due to a successful but incredibly brief run in the nation’s national pastime, Neuer finds himself remembered some 149 years after he was welcomed into this world.

Before getting into his life and brief career, the Tacks nickname deserves to be addressed. Neuer was also called “Bugs” by his teammates. Both nicknames stemmed from Neuer’s behavior both on and off the field. With all due respect, the best I could gather is that Neuer was something of an early baseball version of Wild Thing Rick Vaughn. Both in terms of being a unique character and one who lacked control of the baseball when hurling it off the mound.

John Stein Neuer
Born: Born: June 8, 1877 (Fremont, Ohio)

Died: January 14, 1966 (Northumberland, Pennsylvania)

Yankees (Highlanders) Tenure: 1907

Neuer was the first born of a large family. When he was young the family relocated to central Pennsylvania. It was in the heart of Appalachia’s Pennsylvania coal country that Neuer grew up and spent most of his life.

Lucky enough to avoid World War I, Neuer still saw service in the US Military. That service came in the Spanish-American War. For those less historically inclined, and apologies to those who are more knowledgeable, the war between the Spanish Empire and the United States lasted about two months in 1898. Neuer enlisted and served as a private in the military for the year.

Upon being discharged from the military, Neuer returned home and began working for the railroad. While working on the railroad Neuer played baseball in his free time and grew into a local legend due to his lefty presence on the mound and impressive talent both hitting and on the basepaths. Neuer was a talented pitcher but often found his control would simply disappear.

After bouncing around playing where he could Neuer found himself almost 30-years-old and as far from the big leagues as ever. However, fate had other plans as Neuer found his way to Savannah Georgia in 1907. In Savannah, not for the Bananas, Neuer put together one of the best runs of his career and it just happened at the right time.

On August 23, 1907, the New York Highlanders purchased Neuer. The Highlanders had struggled to that point in the year and needed some pitching to make it through the season, and were hopeful of finding a few diamonds in the rough for the next season. Neuer and his impressive three-month stretch fit the bill.

A few days after joining the club, Neuer made his debut against the Boston Americans in the second game of a doubleheader. Neuer earned the win throwing a complete game shutout holding the Americans to only three hits and striking out six. Over the course of six more starts Neuer threw two more shutouts including a two hitter against the Washington Senators and a three hitter against the Chicago White Sox. Neuer’s final line for the season was a 4-2 record with a 2.17 ERA across 54.0 innings.

This performance dazzled and had many fans dreaming about what Neuer could be next year in a full season. Once again, fate had other plans. Neuer lost control of the baseball and tried to start throwing the junk pitches of the day like knuckleballs and the likes. This caused Neuer’s star to burn out as quickly as it streaked through the 1907 season and ended his major league career after only a few months.

The ending coming so quickly allows for some unique history. Neuer is still one of only a few pitchers in major league history to throw a complete game shutout in their first and final major league starts. Additionally, Neuer still owns the highest percentage of shutouts per start, excluding players who only made one start. In a way, Neuer almost feels like an early version of a Yankees cult hero, Aaron Small.

Neuer bounced around playing for several different minor league teams for several years, not officially retiring from playing until the 1913 season. After retiring, Neuer continued to be a part of the game. Neuer crossed over to the dark side and became an umpire. In this second cameo, Neuer made a name for himself as one of the original character umpires, known for a loud and one-of-a-kind strike call, laying the foundation for the likes of Ron Luciano, Dutch Rennert, and Tom Hallion amongst over umpires who have went untraditional in their approaches.

While his playing career at the highest level proved brief, Neuer remained connected to baseball for decades and left behind one of the most interesting statistical resumes in the sport’s history. A player, umpire, and Yankee.

Happy birthday Tacks!

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Hannes Steinbach is a polished offensive big that should be a lottery pick

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 11: Hannes Steinbach #6 of the Washington Huskies shoots against the USC Trojans in the first half during the second round of the 2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 11, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Are you interested in a big man that plays a lot of minutes on a lot of nights and eats rebounds for breakfast, lunch and dinner? If so, and most Sixers fans should be, then Hannes Steinbach is your guy. The 20-year-old German had a very strong freshman campaign statistically at the University of Washington and looks ready for the NBA. But will the Sixers be able to maneuver their way up in this month’s first round to land the Husky?

Profile

2025-26 Stats: 30 games, 34.6 minutes, 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks, 57.7% FG, 34% 3P, 75.9% FT

Team: Washington Huskies

Year: Freshman

Position: PF/C

Height & Weight: 6’11” | 248 lbs

Born: May 1, 2006 (20 years old)

Hometown: Wurzburg, Germany

Strengths

Measuring at just under seven feet tall and 250 pounds, Steinbach will enter the NBA with a frame that should allow him to play a lot of minutes as a rookie. After all, he just finished a college season in which he was playing roughly 35 out of the 40 regulation minutes and did so in the Big 10. He’s not going to get pushed around in the paint like some bigs who come out of college with a lot of athletic traits but haven’t filled out physically.

Fundamentally, Steinbach is rock solid. His footwork enables him to find lots of ways to finish inside, something he does rather smooth and effortlessly around the rim. These sound fundamentals extend beyond interior scoring as Steinbach can be used effectively on the perimeter in pick-and-rolls and is comfortable passing out of said pick-and-rolls.

Both offensively and defensively he’s an aggressive rebounder and seems to always be in the right positions to possess the basketball. College stats can sometimes be misleading, but at the same time when you’re averaging almost 12 rebounds per game in your age 19 season as Steinbach did last year, you’re doing something right, wherever you’re playing.

Weaknesses

The majority of Steinbach’s concerns at the next level can be traced back to his lack of athleticism. While he has the smarts to be a good pick-and-roll player on the perimeter offensively, he is certainly not laterally quick enough to defend big men who are more capable of stretching the floor. The absence of elite athletic traits in Steinbach’s game also raises question about how good of a rebounder he will be in the NBA. Is he going to be able to average double-digit rebounds just on good positioning and instincts? There are some NBA bigs who might not be as fundamentally sound as Steinbach is but more than make up for that with their athletic ability.

Additionally, in his lone year of college basketball, Steinbach was not much of an outside shooter. His 34% from the three-point line might not look bad, but it came on less than two attempts per game and he didn’t have much of a midrange game either. Can he score 10-15 points per game as a rookie in the NBA solely on good fundamentals? Either way, if he’s going to be a regular starter, there needs to be some perimeter development as a scorer.

Positional Fit

With his current skillset, Steinbach is a traditional NBA center. If his jump shot develops well, he could be used as a bigger power forward that would develop into more of a three-level scorer. Having said that, you wouldn’t want Steinbach too far away from the basket on either end of the floor due to how well he rebounds. But his rebounding would make him a great fit with the Sixers, who finished second-to-last in postseason rebounding in 2026 and were only middle-of-the-pack in regular season rebounding. Steinbach would immediately be the second-most skilled offensive big on Philadelphia’s roster behind Joel Embiid and would play a lot of minutes with the Sixers as a rookie given Embiid’s constant lack of availability.

Draft Projection

SB Nation Mock Draft: In the most recent SB Nation mock, Steinbach goes at the tail end of the lottery to Golden State. The fit seems to track well given the Warriors might be looking for one last kick at the can with Steve Kerr on the sidelines and Steph Curry in the backcourt. An NBA-ready big to come into their lineup and rebound instantly would make sense. The problem for Philly is that Golden State has the 11th overall pick, well ahead of the Sixers at 22. Perhaps this is where a Paul George trade could make sense for the Sixers and maybe Golden State is a partner that makes sense. If new President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey covets Steinbach, a team that’s ahead of the Sixers that would be looking to contend next season and would value George’s veteran presence and postseason production might be a logical trade partner. Either way, it seems unlikely that Steinbach is available for Philadelphia if the team stays put at 22.

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KAT or Brunson? NBA Finals MVP is a toss-up with some intriguing long-shot candidates

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 25: Jalen Brunson #11 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during Round 1 Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

If the NBA’s Western Conference represented a different class of competition than the East, nobody told the New York Knicks. Mike Brown’s team extended their playoff win streak to 13 games after stealing two tight games in San Antonio, and are now playing their first NBA Finals games in Madison Square Garden in 27 years with a 2-0 series advantage. The Spurs have looked more terrestrial than their reputation, but they’ve held leads late in both games, and perhaps the real difference between conferences is showing up in the fatigue factor in the final minutes.

The market for NBA Finals MVP on FanDuel is a valuable measure of the impact that each player has had on the series so far. It’s also a look beyond the box score to consider the narratives that are likely to close out the season.

Jalen Brunson (+115)

Brunson shook off a slow start to game 1 (including multiple injury scares) to take over in the fourth quarter and nailed tough looks down the stretch. Conventional wisdom and historical precedent have suggested that a team can’t win a championship if their best player is short. But this is nothing new to Jalen Brunson, who’s carried his teams to titles at every level of his career. 

He hasn’t been an efficient shooter to start the series (33.9% FG), but he’s found ways to force his impact; scoring 30 points in the opener and grabbing five steals to go with his 20 points and six assists in game two. The Knicks’ offense evolved when Towns became more of a facilitator, but Brunson’s penetration and pull-ups are still the team’s primary options in crunch time.

Karl-Anthony Towns (+165)

Maybe the best argument in Becky Hammon’s favor is that the Knicks are on the precipice of a championship because of the play of their big man, Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s challenged conventional wisdom about his own play during this win streak, using his size to play physical defense and wear on Wemby, while grabbing 12.5 tough rebounds.

Towns has unlocked the Knicks’ offense by serving more as an offensive hub and highlighting his passing, but he’s still the best shooting big man of all time. He sank 3 three-pointers while shooting an efficient 66.7% from the floor in game two, and could easily catch fire and come out of his matchup with Wemby as the most impactful big man in a short series.

Victor Wembanyama (+380)

Even with his team down two games, Wemby has looked like the best player on the floor for significant stretches. He shot over 50% from the field for 29 points in game two while logging nine rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. Those are star numbers, but the Spurs will need him to resemble something more superhuman if they’re to overcome their size and youth disadvantages and climb back from down 0-2.

Nobody has won the Finals MVP in a losing effort since Jerry West in 1969, and it would take an effort at least as impressive as West’s 40-point triple-double in game seven to repeat the honor. If anyone in the league could pull off those kinds of numbers though, it’s Victor Wembanyama.

Longshots

There’s still plenty of basketball left, and a handful of players have made steady impacts that could explode with the right combination of adjustments and luck. 

Mikal Bridges (+17500) has regained his form as a dynamic two-way threat. He scored 20 points in game two, and has been a connective tissue and clutch shooter throughout the Knicks’ win streak.

OG Anunoby (+17500) has shown no fear, nailing jumpers and dunking on Wemby for 17 points in each contest. He’s also been an imposing force on defense, totaling six blocks and assists through two games.

Stephon Castle (+25000) has played beyond his years, cutting down his turnovers while scoring in double digits and holding up well on defense.

Dylan Harper (+25000) didn’t even make a postseason tournament with Rutgers last year, but he’s looked more than comfortable on the game’s biggest stage. The rookie has only shot 1-7 from deep in the first two games, but he’ll keep seeing more minutes.